Given the bargain price, the Goldring GX200 in-ear headphone might be expected to be lacking in sound quality. In reality the GX200 turns out to be one of the best sounding bargain earbuds you will find for the money.

Comfortable Fit

The fit on the GX200 is excellent and suits many people who find in-ear headphones difficult or uncomfortable to fit. The GX200 earbud has a ’round the corner’ design that fits snugly into the ear.

The Goldring GX200 comes supplied with three different sized standard silicone eartips to fit a range of ear sizes.  In addition the GX200 feature a pair of the superb Comply ear tips, which offer an excellent fit, long term wearing comfort and high levels of noise isolation. We offer the full range of Comply ear tips for Goldring earphones, plus many other brands.

Superb Sound Quality

As mentioned above the Goldring GX200 delivers high quality sound. We did some comparative tests with the Sennheiser CX300, CX400 and CX500 and the GX200 won without contest.

The Goldring GX200 offers a warm bottom end, i.e. plenty of bass, with a high level of clarity through the mids and highs. The Sennheiser earphones all exhibit a boomy bass and scratchy highs, whereas the GX200 is a much better balanced earphone across the entire frequency range.

The GX200 is a very pleasant earphone to listen too and has a musical quality that many more expensive earphones do well to learn from.

More Goldring GX200 Information

For the full range of Goldring Headphones, including the Goldring GX100, Goldring GX200 and many other brands check out the HiFi Headphones store.

We also stock a full range of Comply Foam replacement eartips to fit the Ultimate Ears range.

Earphone Cases

Ultimate Ears offer two rather handy cases for their earphones, one in soft black leather and the other in a metallic silver hard case design. Both cases are made for Ultimate Ears earphones, but are also ideal for carrying many other brands of in-ear earphones.

Ultimate Ears Metallic Silver Hard Earphone Carry Case

Ultimate Ears Black Leather Earphone Carry Case

Replacement Spare Cables

If you’ve broken your Ultimate Ears Triple.fi 10 Pro, Super.fi 5 Pro or Super.fi 3 cable then you will be glad you chose earphones with a replaceable cable. The fact that the earphone lead can be replaced on the Triple.fi and Super.fi range is a truly excellent feature and means that your favourite earphones can be repaired in the instance that the cable breaks.

As with the earphones, the replacement cable can be purchased in Black or Clear colours.

Replacement Cable for Ultimate Ears Triple.fi and Super.fi Earphones

Spare Ear Tips - standard or Comply Foam

After some time the ear tips that come supplied with any earphones, including Ultimate Ears, can get a bit grubby. So why not treat your ears to some spare ear tips? The standard silicone or foam ear tips can be replaced with standard Ultimate Ears parts, or alternatively you can upgrade to pair of ultra-soft Comply Foam Ear Tips.

Comply Replacement Eartips for Ultimate Ears Earphones

Comply ear tips utilise foam that is 30 times softer than standard ear tips and is activated by body heat. These high quality foam replacement ear tips offer superior comfort, enhanced bass response and a more secure stay in ear fit.

More Information

For a full range of Ultimate Ears earphones, Ultimate Ears spares and accessories and Comply Foam ear tips, please visit the HiFi Headphones online store.

The Super.fi 5 (not Super.fi 5 Pro) is the new single driver earphone from Ultimate Ears and can be found in the UK at the HiFi Headphones store.

The new Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5 takes a fresh approach and uses what Ultimate Ears call a ‘top fire armature’ to cover the entire frequency range with a single driver. Other earphone brands call this new wider frequency driver technology ‘wideband’ or ‘full range’ drivers.

The previous model Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5 Pro earphone utilises dual drivers (sometimes called mini-speakers), with one driver concentrating on bass with the other working on mids and treble. Cross-over electronics inside the earphone splits the signal to feed each of these drivers.

Why a Single Driver?

One of the biggest advantages of using a single driver in the UE Super.fi 5 is that the earphone can be made smaller, which means the in-ear fit is easier and more comfortable for long term listening.

See the pictures below of the Super.fi 5 and possible fitting options with the wire running over and under the ear:

Other Single Driver Earphones

The single driver approach seems to be the way earphones technology is developing. See the links below for some more examples of miniature single driver earphones:

Sleek Audio SA6 with single wideband driver and custom porting

Klipsch Image X10 with single full range microdriver

More Information

Ultimate Ears have developed some of the best In Ear Monitor (IEM) earphones, with the Super.fi 5 Pro and Triple.fi 10 Pro earphones all setting news standards in quality of sound and fit. You can check out the full range of Ultimate Ears earphones at the HiFi Headphones store.

Earphones Safe for Kids

Ultimate Ears Loud Enough earphones have been designed especially for children, with hearing safety in mind. These clever little earphones keep your kids hearing safe by controlling volume and reducing sound pressure levels.

Ultimate Ears Loud Enough childrens headphones are available in a range of fun colours, including Plum, Blueberry and Mint and can be found at the HiFi Headphones online store.

If you are concerned about the hearing of your children when they wear headphones or earphones for long periods, then the Ultimate Ears Loud Enough earphones are for you. With children using portable MP3 music players, such as the iPod, and gaming devices, such as the Sony PSP and Nintendo DS, for hours at a time it is wise to consider the damage this could be doing to their sensitive hearing.

High Quality Sound

Despite the safety features Ultimate Ears Loud Enough headphones provide full, detailed sound in a small and lightweight ear piece. Ultimate Ears have a long history working in the music industry and developed the Loud Enough earphones with sound quality in mind.

The Loud Enough earphone was developed especially for kids aged 6+ who listen to their headphones while in the car, playing video games, watching movies, walking to school or just hanging out with their friends.

More Information

For more details on Ultimate Ears Loud Enough earphones and a range of other Childrens Headphones please visit the HiFi Headphones online shop.

Utilising a unique soft foam that is activated by body heat, Comply™ Foam ear tips offer superior comfort, fit and performance and can be fitted to major consumer brand earphones, such as Sennheiser, Denon, Skullcandy, Ultimate Ears and many others. Comply Foam replacement eartips are now available at the HiFi Headphones store.

By expanding to fill the ear canal completely, retention is dramatically increased, providing a secure in-ear fit for today’s active lifestyles. Comply™ foam creates an optimal seal that blocks noise while funnelling pure sound into the ear for total immersion.

About Hearing Components

An expert in making connections to the ear using innovative foam solutions, Hearing Components focuses on developing innovative products that improve the listening experience. A 3M spin-off founded in 1990 by Dr. Robert Oliveira serve the military, consumer, aviation, audiology and industrial markets. The patented technology was developed through several grants by the National Institutes of Health to improve and protect hearing. HearingComponents is located in the Twin Cities suburb of Oakdale, Minnesota.

For more information visit www.complyfoam.com

About HiFi Headphones

The UK’s leading headphone and earphone store, HiFi Headphones specialises in bringing innovative products to the UK market and providing a World class service to customers. Offering a huge selection of headphones, earphones and related products as well as buyer’s guides and reviews, the HiFi Headphones website is the place to make an informed headphone purchase.

For more information visit www.hifiheadphones.co.uk

Check out the new range of Skullcandy Headphones at the HiFi Headphones store.

Skullcandy Inkd

Skullcandy’s Inkd in-ear headphone is now available in a selection of hot colours, including Orange, Purple and Metallic Blue. The Inkd earphone is an in-ear isolating earphone designed for portable iPod listening in style.

Skullcandy Inkd

Skullcandy TI

For the first time in the UK Skullcandy have made their popular TI headphones available with a headband lined in fur. These furry headphones have been designed to match the coolest designer street clothes and club wear.

Skullcandy TI with Pink Fur

Skullcandy GI

The chunky looking Skullcandy GI headphones now come in a range of tough looking designs, including the sandy coloured Skullcandy GI Desert Storm in desert camouflage with bullets attached to the headband, the cool looking Skullcandy GI Camo in a black and white camouflage and the alternative Skullcandy GI Rasta in Jamaican colours.

Skullcandy GI Camo

More Information

To see the full range of Skullcandy Headphones and many other cool and stylish headphones check out the HiFi Headphones online store.

Noise Cancelling or Sound Isolating?

Noise cancelling headphones are an excellent choice for air travel and noisy environments, such as computer rooms. The clever electronics in these headphones and earphones does an excellent job of cutting out the low end rumble of aircraft engines and whirring fans.

However, be aware that a new highbred earphone is now available that offers the best of active noise cancelling technology, as well as the passive noise blocking of in-ear sound isolating earphones.

Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7 Active Noise Cancelling Headphones

Audio-Technica or Bose?

So, what noise cancelling headphone manufacturer should you trust? Should you choose a model from the expensive, and highly regarded, Bose noise cancelling headphones range? Or alternatively should you try the far cheaper Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7?

Only launched onto the UK market in 2007, Audio-Technica’s noise cancelling headphones have quickly become recognised as the best value noise cancelling headphones available.

Audio-Technica initially launched the ATH-ANC7 full size noise cancelling heapdhone, and soon afterwards developed the ATH-ANC3 in-ear headphone. Very quickly the ANC7 has become know for offering performance equalling, and possibly surpassing, Bose QC2 or QC3 noise cancelling headphones.

Noise Cancelling & Noise Isolating

Instead of full size noise cancelling headphones, you may be looking for an in-ear earphone that also offers active noise cancelling functionality. This type of earphone gives the best of both worlds.

Active noise cancelling electronics does an excellent job of removing low frequency, constant noise, but is not so good at cancelling out high frequency irregular noise. On the other hand, sound isolating earphones are good at removing high frequency sounds, but struggle to seal out low frequency noise. Therefore, the match between active noise cancelling and an in-ear sound isolating earphone is actually very good.

Audio-Technica ATH-ANC3 Active and Passive Nois Cancelling Earphones

The Audio-Technica ANC3 is an excellent quality earphone and based on feedback from customers who have tried the ANC3 in flight we can highly recommend this incredible little earphone.

More Information

Check out the HiFi Headphones online shop for a wide range of Noise Cancelling Headphone from all the top manufacturers.

The clever guys at Beshart Design Entertainment have made an animated music video to accompany Moby’s song “Ooh Yeah” that involves lots of dancing Sennheiser HD280 headphones. Read their own description of how the video came about:

“A few weeks ago we heard about moby’s video contest for his new song ooh yeah. We started fooling around with our old sennheiser HD 280 Pro in front of a camera and made it dance. Pleased with the result, but we wanted more! We contacted sennheiser belgium and 2 weeks later we received 2 boxes filled with sennheisers. The HD 650 is by far the best set of headphones I ever had the joy to listen to, but when it comes to making them dance, the HD 280 Pro has no competition.”

“To make a long story short… in 4 days we improvised a small photo studio in our office, made 8 sennheisers HD 280 Pro dance, took over 1500 pictures with two camera’s and edited them all to the beat of moby’s new song ‘ooh yeah’.”

You can see the animated music video of Moby’s Ooh Yeah yourself at the following link:

http://www.vimeo.com/1340400

The incredible looking WeSC headphones range is now available from the HiFi Headphones store. WeSC are on to a winner as they have developed a range of retro and street style headphones with decent sound quality to back up their good looks.

WeSC (We are the Superlative Conspiracy - pronounced wee-S-C) is a Swedish brand that is better known for designing rather cool looking clothing. WeSC have definitely translated their style onto their range of headphones. The range of WeSC headphones certainly have a distinctive retro style that ensures they really stand out from the crowd.

Do WeSC Headphones Sound Any Good?

So how do the WeSC headphones sound? When we tested our first batch of WeSC headphones we were also positively surprised by the build and sound quality. Often with street style headphones the audio performance is seriously lacking and often the build quality is disappointing, but WeSC seem to have paid attention to the sonic abilities of their headphones as much as the physical build.

WeSC Oboe Activist

The bottom of the range WeSC Oboe sounds very capable, but in our opinion the Oboe Activist series delivers slightly better clarity. There is yet more improvement in audio detail with the WeSC Bongo, which also has a slightly better fit due to the large comfortable earpads.

More Information

To see more WeSC headphones check out our Retro & Street Headphones section on the HiFi Headphones website.

WeSC Bongo Headphones

WeSC YouTube Advert

If you have a couple of minutes why not check out the advert for WeSC headphones on YouTube.

For the first time it’s possible to tune an In Ear Monitor (IEM) style headphone to enhance the listening experience.  The new Sleek Audio SA6 Headphones are the first fully customizable headphone that can be tuned to alter the frequency response of the earphone within the ear canal.

For more information check out the Sleek Audio website or see the HiFi Headphones online store.

Tune the Earphone to Suit your Musical Taste

Based on 30 years experience in the hearing aid industry, Sleek Audio’s Mark and Jason Krywko developed the SA6 to be fully customizable, enabling headphone owners for the first time to be able to alter frequency response to suit the their individual musical taste and to match their ears.

The miniature SA6 has an innovative multi-stage Variable Equalization System (VQ), which allows complete customization of the sound, giving the owner the freedom to control the bass and treble response as they wish.

More Innovative Design

The innovations don’t stop there. The Sleek Audio SA6 has a cord that can be detached from the headphone body, which for the style conscience means the colour can be changed to match clothes or their MP3 player. More practically the headphone cable can be swapped to replace a cord that has been accidentally crushed or broken.

When Sleek Audio designed the SA6 they scrapped the conventional thinking that more drivers or larger speakers are better, and instead researched ways to accomplish the same broad frequency response while still delivering a product a fraction the size of their competitors. The result is a miniature earphone that sounds silky smooth and musical, with excellent comfort and ergonomics to create the best listening experience.

Exciting Future Wireless Plans

Sleek Audio doesn’t plan on stopping at the SA6 In Ear Monitor headphone. Jason Krywko and his team are busy developing a wireless upgrade for the SA6, due to for launch in late 2008. It will be possible to simply unclick the wired cable and attach a wireless receiver, meaning existing SA6 owners will not have to fork out for a new setup and owners who buy the wireless model will also be able to connect with wires. Sleek Audio plans to make all models compatible with their interchangeable cable and wireless setup.

Sleek Audio SA6 Reviews

Below are a selection of reviews of the Sleek Audio SA6:

Review: Sleek Audio SA6 - Detailed 5 page review - by TechPowerUp

Review: Sleek Audio SA6 Sing in your Ears - by Wired.com

Gadget of the Day: Sleek Audio SA6 Earphones - by Stuff.tv

Official Sleek Audio Reviews site - by Sleek Audio

Sleek Audio SA6 Forum Comments/Reviews

Review of Sleek Audio SA6 earphones with close up photos @ head-fi.org

Detailed comparison review of Sleek Audio SA6 and Ultimate Ears Triple.fi 10 @ head-fi.org

More comparisons between Sleek Audio SA6 and Ultimate Ears Triple.fi 10 @ head-fi.org

More Information

Take a look for yourself at the incredible Sleek Audio SA6 earphones

Visit the HiFi Headphones store for Sleek Audio and many other top headphone brands

Grado headphones sometimes get labelled with the term ‘audiophile’. The word audiophile may send shivers up your spine, but it’s just a word that has been used to describe discerning high end audio enthusiasts who take their music listening very seriously, and Grado headphones do deserve to be taken seriously.

Our first listening tests with a sample from the range of Grado open back headphones has left us wondering why we didn’t take a listen before.

During initial listening tests we’ve been very impressed by the sounds coming out of these distinctively retro looking ‘cans’ (an affectionate name for headphones). We love the energetic and up front sound that appears to be the hallmark of the Grado headphone range.

Below are a few highlights from the Grado headphone line-up.

Grado iGrado - iPod streetstyle headphones

Even the humble bottom of the range iGrado street style headphone really does sound very good indeed. When you compare the iGrado with the rather cheap and muddy sounding standard iPod earbuds you realise that excellent headphones don’t actually need to cost a fortune.

Grado iGrado

While the iGrado styling is distinctly unique and maybe not to everyone’s taste, nobody can deny the performance knocks spots off the competition.

Grado GS1000 - top of the range

If you are looking for sonic perfection then the incredible top of the range Grado GS1000 will actually cost a small fortune. The sound coming out of the GS1000 is, however, quite astonishing. If you are looking for perfection in a headphone then the Grado GS1000 has to be quite near to it.

Grado GS1000

With good Hi-Fi equipment the Grado GS1000 can sound on a par with far more expensive speakers. On a personal note the GS1000 has reminded me why I get so excited about headphones.

Grado SR225 - best headphones available at this price?

Somewhere near the middle of the Grado headphone range is the rather nice sounding Grado SR225. Compared with the budget priced Grado SR60, the SR225 is a much more refined sounding headphone.

The Grado SR225 is a low impedance headphones, so it is quite possible to drive it with a low spec headphone output, as found on portable players like the iPod and laptops.

Grado SR225

Without a dedicated headphone amplifier the SR225 will give a stunning performance, with solid bass extension and high end intensity that will make you sit up and pay attention. On the other hand, with a good quality headphone amplifier the Grado SR225 will open up and you will experience a new level of sonic detail and even tighter bass response.

More Information

For the full range of Grado headphones, Grado Spares & Accessories and other Audiophile Headphones please visit the HiFi Headphones store.

Graham Slee Voyager - Give your iPod a high quality audio kick

The incredible sounding Graham Slee Voyager iPod headphone amplifier is now available from the HiFi Headphones store.

If you appreciate high quality audio and feel that listening to your iPod is a bit of compromise, then the British built Graham Slee Voyager Headphone Amp is an ideal solution. As most high end audio enthusiasts will quickly tell you, the iPod’s headphone output is actually pretty bad at driving many headphones. The Graham Slee Voyager gives an iPod the extra grunt that enables it to easily drive high quality headphones, such as the Sennheiser HD650, with added warmth and fullness and without distortion.

As well as allowing the iPod to drive higher end Hi-Fi headphones, the Graham Slee Voyager is a also perfect for driving lower impedance earphones and headphones. The Voyager headphone amplifier features a contour switch to equalise street-wear headphones, emulating the sound you get from “home” or Hi-Fi headphones - putting back that missing bottom-end bass and replacing the usual scratchy highs with the whole clarity that makes this portable headphone amplifier “hard to switch-off”.

About Graham Slee

The Voyager headphone amp has been developed and produced in the UK by the team at Graham Slee based in South Yorkshire. Graham Slee have a long history manufacturing high end phono amplifiers and headphone amplifiers. The Graham Slee Voyager is their first step into the world of portable audio, but this is fast becoming a major part of the business.

More Information

For more information check out the Graham Slee Voyager Headphone Amp and a range of other high quality Headphone Amplifiers at the HiFi Headphones online store here in the UK.

We often get asked about earphone and headphone safety here at the HiFi Headphones store.

The question is, are in-ear headphones safe, and do they cause hearing loss or damage?  Especially of concern is the safety of children if they listen with earphones for long periods of time.

In-ear sound isolating earphones (also known as ear canal earphones or in-ear monitors - IEMs) create a seal within the ear canal that blocks out external noise. The concern is whether ear canal earphones cause sound pressure levels that are too high and therefore cause hearing damage. Below is our opinion on the subject.

Poor Fitting Ear Buds

If you listen with badly fitting earbuds, such the standard iPod ear buds, then there is a tendency to increase volume to drown out external noises. This means you are exposing your ears to unnecessarily high sound pressure levels.

If you wear correctly fitted ear canal headphones that seal out external noise you have a lower volume delivered to your ear drum as you are not competing with the external noise.

De-Sensitisation Of Your Ears

A good way to illustrate this is the example of listening to the radio while driving a car on a long journey. Because of the external road noise you gradually turn the volume up and up to drown it out. The following day you come back to your car parked on the street, turn the key and get quite a shock when you hear how loud the radio is. While you were driving the previous day your ears became de-sensitised to the increases in volume level. This is what happens with poorly fitting earphones.

Air Tight Seal - does it create too much pressure?

So, if it’s true that ear canal earphone form an “air-tight seal” then surely no matter what level the volume is the pressure between the earphone and the ear membrane has nowhere to release itself and is, therefore, dangerous to the fragile ear membrane?

No, not at all. Your eardrum experiences pressure differences all the time - that’s how it works! When a sound wave hits your eardrum, it causes a momentary increase in air pressure on that side of the eardrum, which causes the eardrum to move and the volume of the sound you hear is proportional to the pressure. Your eardrum can’t tell whether the pressure it experiences is due to a speaker 3 metres away or an earphone transducer 1cm away, and it doesn’t really matter - the only real difference is that the transducer is only having to move a very small volume of air to get the same effect as the speaker moving a very large volume of air.

If you were to seal a full size bass driver in an airtight seal to your eardrum and turn that on then yes, you could massively over pressurise the eardrum - but the miniature transducer in an ear canal earphone only moves tiny distances by comparison, and so it only introduces tiny changes in pressure.

Headphone Safety Summary

Exposure to high sound pressure levels for any period of time can permanently damage your hearing. Obviously you should always take care when listening with headphones or earphones. Many famous musicians have admitted that they have permanently damaged their ears by listening to headphones in studios for extended periods of time at unnecessarily high volume levels.

Our opinion is that a good quality set of ear canal earphones that fit well are safer than a poorly fitting set of standard iPod ear buds.

More Information

For more information on the different types of headphones and earphones please see our Headphone Buying Guides or visit the HiFi Headphones online store for a huge range of in ear headphones.

DJ monitoring has some very specific requirements, which are quite different to other types of listening.  This article is meant to offer some advice with choosing the best pair of DJ headphone.  DJing presents a tough listening environment and you will need to ensure you have the right equipment to be successful and get the most out of it.

Below are a few key points to think about when choosing DJ headphones.

Good isolation from external sound

While you cue up the next track you need to be able to monitor without interference from the sound being played over the speakers, so headphones with good sound isolation are a must

Good DJ headphones are nearly always of the closed back (or sealed) design, which means you can focus on getting the beats matched perfectly without any external distractions.

Swivel earcups

When you think you got the beat match spot on you will want to compare the beats of your new tune with the sound coming out of the speakers.  Swivel earcups are a convenient way of monitoring the audio coming through the speakers. You just rotate one earcup and hey presto you can hear your new track and the existing track.  Also convenient for chatting with friends nearby while you mix!

For example the Sennheiser HD25 DJ headphones have rotating earcups and also conveniently have a headphone cable that comes from a single earcup, meaning you are less likely to get tangled up in the cord when you are jumping up and down behind the decks.

Sennheiser HD25 DJ Headphones

Clarity at high volume levels

The listening environment while DJing is often very noisy, even if it’s just at home with the speakers turned up loud.  You will need your DJ headphones to be able to cut through the external noise and this may mean turning them up loud for short periods.  A good quality pair of DJ headphones are able to be driven at high volumes without distortion.

Some DJ headphones may even sound a little biased towards mids and treble, which is to help you distinguish audio cues in the music.

Long term listening comfort

As a DJ you may have to wear your headphones for hours at a time, so headphone fit and comfort are vital.  Ears that are hurting will not help your mixing skills.  The best DJ headphones have comfortable earpads and are lightweight.

More Information

The HiFi Headphones store has a big selection of DJ headphones from many of the best headphone brands, including Technics and Sennheiser.

We’ve just taken delivery of the official Grado headphone case.  Grado headphones come supplied in cheap cardboard box packaging, which is definitely not up to the task of protecting expensive headphones from day to day wear and tear.

The official Grado Headphone Carry Case is well made and designed to store your Grado headphones safely when not in use, or while travelling.

The Grado carry case has a moulded interior to fit all models, except the iGrado and GS1000.   The case is designed to fit the following models:

• Grado SR60
• Grado SR80
• Grado SR125
• Grado SR225
• Grado SR325i
• Grado RS2
• Grado RS1

More Information

For more details on the Grado Headphone Carry Case and the rest of the Grado headphone range please visit the HiFi Headphones online shop.

If you travel often by aeroplane or long distance train and you have a passion for music it’s likely you’ve considered (or maybe already own) a pair of active noise cancelling headphones. The clever electronics in these headphones does an excellent job of removing the low frequency boom of aircraft engines, train air conditioning and any other consistent rumbling noises. While some feel the addition of this electronics interferes with the quality of audio reproduction, there is no doubt that the technology is impressive and very effective at reducing low frequency noise.

Visit the HiFi Headphones online store for a closer look at the Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7

What about Bose?

The obvious choice for many when it comes to noise cancelling headphones is the Bose range. The Bose Quiet Comfort noise cancelling headphones have long been regarded as the standard by which other noise cancelling headphones should be measured. This domination of the market has meant that Bose has been able to justify a hefty price tag for their superior technology.

In recent years manufacturers such as Sennheiser, Panasonic and others have to some degree caught up with Bose, but many feel Bose still have the upper hand with their noise cancelling technology..

Audio-Technica’s ATH-ANC7’s headphones are well and truly aimed to challenge the position of Bose.

ATH-ANC7 Quietpoint Overview

Upon opening the box the ANC7’s are immediately impressive, with excellent build quality and a comfortable fit on most ears. The headphone ear cups have a rather handy pivoting link to the headband that means they can be folded 90 degrees for convenient storage of the headset. Also included with the headphones is a useful airline connection adapter, the single AAA battery needed to power the active electronics and a practical carry case to protect your headphones.

Audio-Technica’s ATH-ANC7 Quietpoint noise cancelling headphones come in a full size headset package with sealed (or closed) ear cups to help reduce high frequency noise from leaking in, while the active electronics handle the suppression of low frequency noise. The ear cups do not completely enclose the ears, but instead rest on the outer ear with soft pads that mould to fit comfortably on most ears.

Clever Cable Design

The headphone connection cable design of the ANC7’s is worth a mention. The convenient 1.6 metre cable is terminated with a full size 6.35mm (1/4”) jack at the source end and a 3.5mm (1/8”) mini jack at the headphone end. While the length is perfect for using with a portable music player on the move, the use of standard connectors means the cable can be easily replaced with a longer item for other applications such as home or office listening. The ANC7’s can also be used without the cable attached to just perform noise cancelling duties – handy if you are looking to get some sleep on a long flight.

How Do They Sound?

The quality of audio reproduction is excellent. The sealed ear cup headphone design means there is very little bass leakage and the lower frequency response is very strong. Moving through the mid-range and high frequencies the sound is pure and crisp and very accurate.

The closed back design does give the sound an enclosed character, which owners of good quality open back headphones may find immediately noticeable. The difference between open and closed back headphones can be compared to listening to a band in a large open concert hall and then hearing the same band playing a small intimate venue – it’s just different. There is no doubt that the ANC7’s close back design does change the character of the sound, but without the sealed ear cups the listener would be disturbed by high frequency external noise.

The active noise reduction technology of the Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7’s is very impressive. Low frequency external noise is dramatically reduced, while still managing to maintain excellent quality audio reproduction.

More Information

Visit the HiFi Headphones online store for a closer look at the Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7 Quietpoint Noise Cancelling Headphones.

For more information on how noise cancelling headphones work see our Noise Cancelling Headphones Buyer’s Guide.

Check out the following headphone and earphone buying information:

• Headphone Buying Tips - tips and advice on factors that may influence your decision when buying headphones.
• Best Headphones - a Top 10 Review - a review of our best rated headphones.
• Headphone Terminology Guide - a useful guide to headphone and earphone technical jargon.
• Cheap iPod Headphones Review - a review of some bargain priced headphones for replacing the standard iPod earbud headphones.
• Sports Headphones Buyers Review - a review of headphones for running, jogging and an active lifestyle.

Also in the headphone buying advice section of the website we have added a Guide to Headphone Types, which so far has information and descriptions of the following types of headphones:

• Guide to Ear Bud Headphones
• Guide to In Ear Sound Isolating Headphones
• Guide to Wireless Headphones
• Guide to Noise Cancelling Headphones
• Guide to Open Back Headphones
• Guide to Closed Back Headphones

We thrive on feedback from website visitors and customers, so if you have any comments (positive or negative) about our buying guides and headphone information please let us know. You can contact us through the HiFi Headphones email form or by commenting on this blog. We’d love to hear from you!

The HiFi Headphones Team

http://www.hifiheadphones.co.uk

If you’ve decided you like in-ear sound isolating earphones it’s quite likely that you have come across the Shure SE range. This round-up is a brief review summary of Shure’s range of ear canal headphones.

Shure have a long heritage of designing microphones and earphones for the professional audio industry. Shure’s build quality is normally excellent, you get good value for money and their headphones come with a reassuring 2 year Shure warranty. Shure’s previous range of ear canal headphones (EC2 and EC3) were generally very well regarded and the SE range is the evolutionary next step.

So let’s see what they have to offer…

Shure SE110 and SE210 - entry level

Currently the entry level in-ear headphone is the Shure SE110 sound isolating earphone. The SE110 is a very worthwhile upgrade from standard iPod headphones. You will be able to hear detail in your music that you simply could not hear before. Saying that the SE110 does lack the bass punch that many listeners expect when upgrading to a more ‘expensive’ pair of headphones.

Shure SE110

The Shure SE210 earphone adds another layer of definition and a small amount more bass response than the SE110. For the modest difference in price it really is worth upgrading to the SE210’s.

Shure SE210

Both the SE110 and SE210 earphones are very sensitive and you may find that you have to watch the volume levels. For example when listening to an iPod Nano I found that anywhere over half volume is too much for extended periods. With the standard iPod headphones I regularly listened upto 75% volume. This is partly due to the fact that they are sound isolating and your music is not competing with the sounds around you, but is also due to the sensitivity of the headphones. It’s unlikely you will want a headphone amp with either the Shure SE110’s or SE210 headphones.

Shure SE310 - midrange

The Shure SE310 earphone is still just a single armature driver design, but the sonic clarity is absolutely spot on. The single speaker design gives the SE310 the advantage that it’s smaller than it’s bigger brothers (the SE420 and SE530). This mid-range offering from Shure has quite a bit of competition, including the Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5 Pro, but holds it’s own with the best of them.

Shure SE310

While the SE range are ideal iPod headphones you will only really get the best from your headphones when listening to uncompressed (e.g. AAC and FLAC) digital music. If you try listening to poor quality, low bitrate MP3’s you may be disappointed by all the sonic artefacts you can hear in your music, e.g. normally resulting in a ‘crunchy’ sound. If uncompressed audio is not possible then 192Kbps is really a minimum when listening with good quality in ear sound isolating headphones.

Shure SE420 - audiophile quality with twin micro-speakers

This is the first in Shure’s range to introduce the idea of more than one driver within the earphone, much like a multi-way speaker. The Shure SE420 earphone utilizes a dual armature driver, with the lows driven by one driver and the high frequencies driven by another dedicated speaker. The result is an extra clean punch to the bass and a slightly more accurate response across the board than the single driver SE310. Compared to the Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5 Pro the SE420’s bass response is stronger and overall slightly warmer sounding. If your preference is for clean and accurate response then you may prefer the UE 5 Pro.

Shure SE420

Shure SE530 - top of the range

The flagship in-ear-monitor from Shure is currently the spectacular Shure SE530 earphone. Whilst not cheap, this headphone really is the pinnacle of consumer ear canal headphone technology. The earphone utilizes three tiny micro-drivers, just like a three way HiFi speaker. The end result is an extremely accurate, dynamic earphone with deep, powerful bass response.

The fact that the Shure SE530 headphone contains three speakers does increase the size a little, but the earphone is very comfortable to wear for long periods and is as easy to fit as the other Shure models.

Shure SE530

The bottom line is that the SE530 is one of the best in-ear headphones you will find. The SE530’s sound absolutely stunning, with accurate response across the full frequency range and when called for a deep powerful bass response.

We’re proud to announce that the HiFi Headphones Store now has a brand new Headphone Buyer’s Guide with lots of expert advice from the experts at HiFi Headphones. This area of the website currently holds a headphone selection guide with a subsection for each of the main types of headphone and earphone. The guide can be found at the following link:

Headphone Buying Guide

We plan to include additional sections to the buyers guide in the coming months, including some headphone reviews (by type) and a selection guide by application, e.g. DJ Headphones, iPod Headphones, Travelling Headphones, etc.

As always we love to hear from our customers, so let us know if there is anything you would find particularly informative in this area of the website.

The HiFi Headphones Team

http://www.hifiheadphones.co.uk

Audio Quality

The first question asked by many people when buying headphones and earphones is “Do they sound good?”. It’s also often the most difficult question to answer. We human beings are very subjective creatures. What is described by one person as “precise and detailed” will be “lacking in bass and clinical” by another. What one listener likes another will find irritating.

The best advice we can give is to do plenty of research and try to understand what you are purchasing. Search the Internet for reviews of the headphones you like the look of. Ask for advice on forums where people discuss headphones such as Head-Fi or the AVForums. You will likely find plenty of information and opinions, often from different points of view. If you make your headphone or earphone purchase with good knowledge of what to expect it’s less likely you will be disappointed.

Design and Aesthetics

High up the list for many people is the looks and aesthetics of the headphones. After all you will have to be wearing the headphones you choose on your head for all to see! Unless you plan to use your new headphones alone at home then it’s likely you will be interested in how they look. Of course the quality of sound is also near the top of most lists, but with such a wide selection of good headphones to choose from it’s also likely that you will want your headphones to reflect your style.

Manufacturers such as Skullcandy have really gone to town with the styling of their headphones. While not to everyone’s taste Skullcandy have a unique look that definitely appeals to the surf and skate scene.

If you are looking for headphones that look a little more sophisticated and refined then Audio-Technica’s range of headphones are a good choice. While only relatively new to the consumer market in the UK, it’s not without reason that Audio-Technica are the market leaders in Japan. The majority of Audio-Technica’s selection of headphones look stunning and perform equally well. The Audio-Technica ATH-ES7 headphones are a highly recommended set of stylish iPod headphones with a rich, clear sound.

Ease of Portability

If you are going to be travelling or moving around with your headphones or earphones then the size, weight and ability to pack away (fold or collapse) may be important to you.

Many travellers and commuters like the in-ear earphone type as they can easily be wound up and put into a pouch or pocket. Sound isolating earphones have the added benefit that they can cut down outside noise by -20dB, which can be a godsend when travelling on a train, bus or underground. The Shure range of sound isolating earphones is a good place to start. Also worthy of mention Ultimate Ears who have a good range of the in ear sound isolating variety.

You will also find a good selection of headband headphones that collapse or fold for stowing away when needed. The Sennheiser PX100 headphones are an example of good quality lightweight travelling headphones that fold away for transporting.

Sound Isolation

When listening to your headphones will you need to block out external noise, or do you need to prevent your music from annoying others around you. Ask yourself where, when and how you will be using your headphones.

If you will be listening to your headphones in an office or on public transport you will probably want to keep your music to yourself. In this case you will want to avoid open-back ear cup designs. Although open back headphones are often sonicly superior to closed back headphones the sound leaks out and people around you will be listening to a tinny version of what you are listening too - very annoying indeed.

If you travel on buses, trains or planes you might be thinking about noise cancelling headphones, but you may also want to consider in-ear sound isolating earphones instead as they are often able to reproduce a clearer more accurate sound. The extra electronics between your audio source and your ears means that noise cancelling headphones often colour the sound and reduce the clarity.

DJs and studio engineers also have a unique set of requirements when it comes to selecting headphones. A good set of DJ headphones should normally provide maximum isolation from outside sounds, so that you can concentrate on the mix you are putting together. Whereas a studio engineer may be more interested in being able to reproduce a good stereo sound image with sonic clarity and may not be so interested in sound isolation.

Summary

When if comes to purchasing headphones there are so many options and possibilities, but at the end of the day your choice will be down to a few key factors. Factors such as budget, design and whether or not you want sound isolation may be more significant than trying to find headphones with the best audio quality possible.